January 16, 2005

Judging Bush's War

Recently our President arrogantly said the American people have ratified his approach to the war in Iraq and he didn't see any need to change anything.

"We had an accountability moment, and that's called the 2004 elections," Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post. "The American people listened to different assessments made about what was taking place in Iraq, and they looked at the two candidates, and chose me."

Yet, in a fair world, the Iraqi people should also get a chance to hold Bush accountable for the hell that he created. What would that judgement be? Riverbend gives us a clue as she writes about the recent report where it was reported that the Bush administration admits there never were any WMD.

Why does this not surprise me? Does it surprise anyone? I always had the feeling that the only people who actually believed this war was about weapons of mass destruction were either paranoid Americans or deluded expatriate Iraqis- or a combination of both. I wonder now, after hundreds and hundreds of Americans actually died on Iraqi soil and over a hundred-thousand Iraqis are dead, how Americans view the current situation. I have another question- the article mentions a "Duelfer Report" stating the weapons never existed and all the intelligence was wrong. This report was supposedly published in October 2004. The question is this: was this report made public before the elections? Did Americans actually vote for Bush with this knowledge?

Over here, it's not really "news" in the sense that it's not new. We've been expecting a statement like this for the last two years. While we were aware the whole WMD farce was just a badly produced black comedy, it's still upsetting to hear Bush's declaration that he was wrong. It's upsetting because it just confirms the worst: right-wing Americans don't care about justifying this war. They don't care about right or wrong or innocents dead and more to die. They were somewhat ahead of the game. When they saw their idiotic president wasn't going to find weapons anywhere in Iraq, they decided it would be about mass graves. It wasn't long before the very people who came to 'liberate' a sovereign country soon began burying more Iraqis in mass graves. The smart weapons began to stupidly kill 'possibly innocent' civilians (they are only 'definitely innocent' if they are working with the current Iraqi security forces or American troops). It went once more from protecting poor Iraqis from themselves to protecting Americans from 'terrorists'. Zarqawi very conveniently entered the picture.

Zarqawi is so much better than WMD. He's small, compact and mobile. He can travel from Falloojeh to Baghdad to Najaf to Mosul… whichever province or city really needs to be oppressed. Also, conveniently, he looks like the typical Iraqi male- dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin, medium build. I wonder how long it will take the average American to figure out that he's about as substantial as our previously alleged WMD.

Now we're being 'officially' told that the weapons never existed. After Iraq has been devastated, we're told it's a mistake. You look around Baghdad and it is heart-breaking. The streets are ravaged, the sky is a bizarre grayish-bluish color- a combination of smoke from fires and weapons and smog from cars and generators. There is an endless wall that seems to suddenly emerge in certain areas to protect the Green Zoners... There is common look to the people on the streets- under the masks of fear, anger and suspicion, there's also a haunting look of uncertainty and indecision. Where is the country going? How long will it take for things to even have some vague semblance of normality? When will we ever feel safe?

...The weapons never existed. It's like having a loved one sentenced to death for a crime they didn't commit- having your country burned and bombed beyond recognition, almost. Then, after two years of grieving for the lost people, and mourning the lost sovereignty, we're told we were innocent of harboring those weapons. We were never a threat to America...

Congratulations Bush- we are a threat now.

And, yes, Riverbend, almost everyone knew that the WMD didn't exist when they voted in the election. Nevertheless, too many didn't care, just like our President doesn't care. And I deeply regret what we who knew this war was wrong from the beginning were unable to stop it or to elect someone else who would care.

When Bush joked about looking for WMDs in the Oval Office, the joke was a private one told in majogany board rooms: Bush was looking for his stock portfolio! He really was looking for WMDs.

"Fiendishly clever, that one, eh what? By jove, jolly good one, Georgie, you ol' joker. Hey, 'Now watch this drive', that one was a real hoot! Do come visit the royalty, next time around, Georgie. We do so enjoy your little jests. Heil Bushler and all that. Hoo hoo!"

Posted by: Artie at January 17, 2005 01:25 PM

The horrible thing is that half of the people who voted for Bush said we should not have invaded Iraq if there were no WMDs and if there was no relationship between Saddam and 9/11 - but they still believed there were.

What worries me even more are the other half, who knew it was all bull and apparently don't mind.

I actually talked to a fairly well-educated young guy the other day, someone who thought the war was a mistake. But he believed that the WMD had been found, in the form of sarin gas in the trunk of a car. It blew my mind to hear, but he clearly believed it.